The 90s Fender Duo Sonic

so1om · Post by **so1om** » Tue Oct 16, 2012 1:34 am

So I have owned this guitar since new in 93, around the time I got the MIJ Bass VI reissue.. In Torino Red, the MIM Duo Sonic!

I'm sure it's been discussed here and there, but...

What an odd bird -22.7 scale, not the 24, not the 22.5. Both pick-ups angled like the Duo IIs, but on the original type pickguard -which is very rubbery by the way. And it has the toggle opposed to sliders. But the bridge is like the Duo II.. Just a mishmash of versions. Very strange because they could have just gone either way with it.

I recently put on some Ernie Ball Power slinkies and run it thru an early 70s vibro champ with the BOSS/Fender reverb...

I gotta tell you, it really is a great, fun guitar to play. Easy to get around, plays smooth and spot on intonation. I wouldn't change a thing.

The pickups have the magnets glued to the underside of the bobbin with the pole pieces poking thru. The tuners are really.. well.. Ok.. Those are pretty inexpensive. But they hold the tuning alright. Yeah I can change those things, but the retunr on investment and losing it's own little character, not worth it.

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Tue Oct 16, 2012 1:41 am

i miss you sooooooooooooooooooo muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

so1om · Post by **so1om** » Tue Oct 16, 2012 2:03 am

there was a gent over on the Gretsch pages that had a damaged pickguard.. I told him to get a sheet of aluminum, cut it kinda like the 60s version and polish it up. Looked pretty sweet.

I actually had to repair the switch in mine this weekend. it wasn't staying in any position, just flappign in the breeze. i think it took a lateral hit thru the gig bag..

anyway, loosened the strings, popped off the tailpiece (easier than the strings and it released teh ground wire...

took off the nut of the switch, pried it open. The little stem was bent. Straightened that, put the rocker in there, closed it up... reassembled...

faster that you can say "log on to ebay..."

And it's all original!

(we'll see how long it lasts!)

xxhoixx · Post by **xxhoixx** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 6:57 pm

My dad had this guitar in his house for years and when I finally decided to ask for it he had already given it away to his nephew, who keeps it on a fucking wall. What a waste.

Cymbaline · Post by **Cymbaline** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 8:31 pm

xxhoixx wrote:My dad had this guitar in his house for years and when I finally decided to ask for it he had already given it away to his nephew, who keeps it on a fucking wall. What a waste.

Sorry to hear it. My uncle who died last year, was as good as Eddie Van Halen and Clapton combined, and he gave his main axe to his daughter, a wicked conniving trifling malevolent insidious bitch who used him in life and treated him like shit, and she doesnt play guitar. Her brother plays guitar and bass, I play guitar and bass, and several of his close friends are great musicians too, but my uncles guitar is going to see no action ever again because of that greedy spoiled tramp daughter of his insists on keeping it for herself even though she can't and won't ever play a single note.

Sloan · Post by **Sloan** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 10:43 pm

squier classic vibe > 90's mexican

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Fri Oct 19, 2012 11:09 pm

poobrown sonic is still poo brown

BillClay · Post by **BillClay** » Sat Oct 20, 2012 1:45 am

I've been meaning to totally gonna mod my black 90s duo and make it a stealth duo.

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Fri Oct 26, 2012 2:22 pm

just randomly came across this photo on my uploader too

so1om · Post by **so1om** » Fri Oct 26, 2012 2:36 pm

pretty sweet line up. That straty looking one on the left is pretty nice. Strat meets Bullet. I liked those early 80s fender straty/tele bullets...

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Fri Oct 26, 2012 2:49 pm

thats what its based on. but its a full size strat body. I called it the duo-caster. I built a white one and a blue one after the black one. It was my main guitar for like 2 whole months. haha

but then I mocked this up and built this with the neck off it. now the body and parts are on ice.

Dave · Post by **Dave** » Mon Oct 29, 2012 10:53 am

I've got the squier version which is pretty much the same. They're a bit of fun, but the real complaint is how wide the fretboard is. It's a full size strat width right up to the heel. It's wider than most 24" scale fender necks for sure as I tried dropping a couple in and there gaps in the neck socket. For me. the neck configuration feels out of sorts with the concept.

B-dubbs · Post by **B-dubbs** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 7:08 am

Just bought one, I'm excited to build it back up. ( she's in pieces)

Thomas · Post by **Thomas** » Thu Nov 15, 2012 11:25 am

I have a Strat neck on the remains of my old one. I need to get a screw/spring for one of the saddles and a new pickguard to put it back together.

Does anyone have a tracing handy?

DasBeef · Post by **DasBeef** » Tue Nov 20, 2012 8:43 am

Picked this up recently. Mid 90's Duo Sonic. Pretty cool. Small as fuck. Also got one of them Genz Benz Black Pearl 2x12 that's hiding in the back there that someone on this forum posted. (Thanks by the way!)

spellcaster · Post by **spellcaster** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 4:30 am

I bought a beaten 98 Duosonic a few months ago and mods are in progress.

Cavity modifications, custom pickguard, and Custom Shop Parts Tele bridge....

Building in a Daphon EC100 Super Overdrive pedal

Electronics will be a Seymour Duncan Hotrails at the bridge, wired through a three-way Tele switch for series/parallel/single coil operation. Master tone and volume controls will be Fender Jaguar roller pots and knobs.

There will be a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion 9 volt battery for the overdrive, a 2.5mm coaxial charging jack in the pickguard, and a two-way toggle switch for recharging the battery and /or passive pickup operation, and an active position when the overdrive is going to be used. The overdrive stomp-switch is being replaced with a soft-touch pushbutton made from a Tele barrel-type pickup switch knob mounted in the pickguard.

The output jack is moved from the pickguard to the body edge and utilizes an electrosocket and switchcraft jack...

The stock strap knobs have been replaced with Dunlop Straploks flush-mounted into the body.

Things are on hold right now while I wait for the roller pots and thumbwheel knobs. In the meantime, I'm doing body restoration, getting rid of a dreadful "relic job" done by the first owner.

BillClay · Post by **BillClay** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 5:06 am

^
That thing will be so fucking sex, your dick will probably fall off.

Nick · Post by **Nick** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 5:21 am

BillClay wrote:^
That thing will be so fucking sex, your dick will probably fall off.

For real...only thing I'm not crazy about is the flaming bridge but I'm sure it's quality. LOVE the recessed strap pins, surprised I've never seen that done before!

cur · Post by **cur** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 5:23 am

BillClay wrote:^
That thing will be so fucking sex, your dick will probably fall off.

I might have missed it because I am on the wild tukey 101 train, but what mother fuckin' color is this going to be!! If the answer is not metallic orange sparkle I am going to crawl threw the inter tubes ind choke you out.

robroe · Post by **robroe** » Wed Nov 21, 2012 5:35 am

in other words he wants you to paint it Tony Stewart orange